Loading machine



April 11, 1933. A. HAUGE LOADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1929 dMMzf/a We.

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Patented Apr. 11, 1933 UNITED sTArssf rAsNr ori-lcs ANDREW HAUGE, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS i LOADING MACHINE Application led February 1S, 1929. Serial No. 340,815.

, This invention relates to loading machines and more particularly to improved material penetrating and gathering means for such machines.

' 5 An object of thisinvention is to provide an improved loading machine having improved material penetrating means. Another object is to provide an improved coal loading machine having improved material `penetrating means comprising relatively angularly movable coacting penetrating elements. Another object is to provide in a coal loading machine improved material penetrating means and a coacting relatively adjustable material gathering element. A further object is to provide improved material penetrating means associated with and driven by the conveying means of a loading machine.

Still another object is to provide a loading machine having an adjustable shovel member and having improved material penetrating means carried by said shovel member. These and other subsidiary objects will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In this drawing: e f

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a loading machine having embodied therein the improved material penetrating means.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan .view of the -forward portion of the shovel member and conveying means and the improved material penetrating means mounted on the shovel m-ember. v

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in a different position.

In this illustrative form of the invention the same is shown embodied in a coal loading machine `of the same general type as that described and claimed in a copending application of one Frank A. Halleck, Serial No.

160,486, filed January .11, 1927 although it is obvious that the improved material penetrating means may be embodied in loading machines of various other types. rlhe loading machine generally comprises a body-1,

mounted on and propelledby endless traction treads 2. Pivctally mounted on the forward end of the body land having vertical adjustability relative thereto is a shovel member 3 having a plane bottom surface 4. at its forward end adapted to rest upon and slide over the mine floor. Also pivotally mounted on the body 1 above the shovel 3 and having vertical adjustability relative thereto is a` coacting material gathering element 5 herein in the form of a toothed roller or rake arranged transversely of the front end of the machine. Guided on the shovel member 3 and the machine bodyris a front elevating conveyor 6, while adjustably mounted on the rear end of the body is a usual rear discharge conveyor 7. As described in the above mentioned application the toothed roller 5 is adapted to rake down the loose coal onto the shovel 3 from which the coal is conveyed rearwardly of the machine by the front conveyor 6 and the rear discharge conveyor 7. Alsol it will be noted thatV the traction treads 2 are adapted to propel the machine forwardly to move -the-.L shovel 3 beneath the loose coal as loading progresses. f

Heretofore, under certain conditions in a loading machine of the character set forth, especially when loading loose coal, it hasbeen t found that the gatheringl roller or rake breaks up the coal to some extent when raking the loose coal onto the shovel. lIn order to overcome this obvious disadvantage, there is provided an improved material penetrating means mounted on the forward portion or nose piece of the shovel and this penetrating means agitates the coal thereby facilitating the movement of the shovel beneath the loose coal to load the latter without the use of therl raking roller, the raking-roller at that time .being disposed in its raised or inoperative position, and as a result the undesirable breaking up of the loose coal is substantiallyeliminated. Associated withV and driven by the y front elevating conveyor 6 `and mountedy on the forward portion of the shovel ymember `3 1s the improved material penetrating means.

This improved means comprises a pair of'an- Vgularly movable material penetrating ele ments or hinge lates 8 and 9. These material gathering e ements or hinge plates extend transversely of the shovel frame and have upstanding projections or teeth 10 and are pivotally connected or hinged together at 11. The lower or front hinge plate 8 is pivotally connected at its lower side at 12 to the shovel frame while the upper hinge plate 9 slidably engages the shovel frame at 13. The gathering elements or hinge plates 8 and 9 are adapted to be agitated by means of cranks or lever arms 15 suitably rigidly fixed to the opposite ends of the front conveyor shaft 16, the latter being driven in a manner clearly described in the above mentioned application by means of endless side chains 17 engaging sprockets 18 fixed to the shaft. As illustrated, pivotally connected at 20 to each of the cranks 15 is a link 21 in turn pivotally connected at 22 to a lever 23 suitably secured to a horizontal rock shaft 24 extendin transversely of the shovel frame. Also 'xed to the shaft 24 are a plurality of cranks or lever arms 25 pivotally connected at 26 to a plurality of links 27. These links project upwardly 'through openings 28 in the upper portion of the shovel frame and are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the hinge plates S and 9 about an axis coincident with the axis of the hinge connection between the plates. The actuating means for the rock shaft 24 including the links and levers are housed within suitable chambers 29 formed within the sides of the shovel frame. The lower hinge plate 8 which is pivoted at 12 on the shovel frame is provided with a forwardly projecting portion 30 having formed thereon a series of points or teeth 31, and as this hinge plate is swung about its pivot the teeth 31 have an upward and a downward prying movement which, when the shovel is fed beneath the coal, tends to loosen the coal thereby facilitatinof movement of the shovel. The agitating motlon of the hinge plates prevents the coal from lying still thereon, piling up around the shovel, and packing itself, thereby preventing further progress of the shovel beneath the pile of loose coal. It will thus be seen that when the front elevating conveyor is driven the front conveyor shaft 16 is rotated thereby turning the cranks 15 and swinging the levers 23 about their pivots thereby causing the shaft 24 to have an oscillatory motion which is transmitted through the cranks 25 and links 27 to the hinge plates 8 and 9. This oscillatory motion causes the lower hinge plate 8 to be swung upwardly about its pivotal axis moving therewith the Yupper hinge plate 9 until the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 4, the forward hinge plate having a prying action which facilitates movement of the shovel beneath the material to be loaded.

The operation of the improved loading machine is as follows. The machine is propelled about the mine at a relatively fast moving speed, the shovel 3 being held at that time in an elevated position above the mine fioor. When the coal pile is reached the shovel 3 is dropped on the mine floor with the bottom plane surface 4 thereof lin sliding engagement with the Hoor. If the coal is soft and easily broken up the gathering roller 5 is not used but is held in its raised or inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1. The machine is then propelled forwardly by the traction treads 2 thereby moving the shovel member 3 beneath the coal. Movement of the nose piece ofthe shovel member beneath the coal is facilitated by the improved material penetrating means, the hinge plates 8 and 9 being moved angularly relative to the shovel member by means of the lever and link connections driven by the front conveyor shaft16. As the material penetrating means is moved beneath the coal pile the hinge plate 8 as it swings about its pivot 12 causes the points or teeth 31 to have a prying action on the coal and due to the agitating motion of the hinge plates the shovel is moved beneath the pile of loose coal with facility. Moreover, it will be noted that the upstanding projections or teeth on the hinge plates tend to move the coal rear-y wardly onto the front gathering conveyor. When large lumps or blocks of coal are encountered, the gathering roller 5 may be lowered and the coal raked onto the shovel.

As a result of this invention it will be noted that an improved loading machine is provided having improved material penetrating means whereby the shovel may be moved beneath the pile of loose coal with facility. It will further be noted that the,

improved material penetrating means is of an exceedingly simple design, it being possible to mount the same on a shovel of a standard loading machine with a minimum of change. It will still further be evident that the improved material penetrating means is of an exceedingly rugged and compact design readily adapted to withstand the severe demands of service. These and other uses and advantages of the improved mate,

rial penetrating means will be clearly apparent to those skilled in this art.

Thile there is in this application speciically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims..

What I claim4 as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a loading machine, material penetrating means comprising a frame portion, and a pair of angularly movable plates hinged together and mounted on and extending transversely of said frame portion, and mechanism for actuating said plates to cause the same to impart an agitating movement to the material penetrated thereby.

2. In a loading machine, material penetrating means comprising a frame portion, and a pair of angularly movable plates hinged together and extending transversely of and mounted on said frame 1portion, said plates having upstanding teeth, and mechanism for actuating said plates.

3. In a loading machine, material penetrating mechanism comprising a frame portion, means extending transversely of and mounted on said frame portion for carrying material to be loaded onto said frame portion, said material carrying means having portions connected for relative movement with a buckling action about a transverse axis and one of said portions, in all of the relative positions of said portions, being positioned to deliver material onto said frame portion, and means operative irrespective of bodily forward movement of said material penetrating mechanism for automatically repeatedly imparting to said material carrying means the buckling action aforesaid.

4. In a loading machine, material penetrating means comprising a frame port-ion, and relatively movable agitating elements mounted on and extending transversely of said frame portion and hinged together, one of said elements being pivotally connected to said frame portion.

5. In a loading machine, material penetrating means comprising a frame portion, and a pair of toothed plates hinged together, one of said plates being pivotally connected to said frame portion while the other plate has sliding engagement therewith.

6. In a loading machine, material penetrating means comprising a frame portion, and a pair of toothed plates hinged together, one of said plates being pivotally connected to said frame portion while the other plate has sliding engagement therewith, said pivoted plate having forwardly projecting teeth.

7. In a loading machine, material penetrat-ing means comprising a frame portion, a material penetrating device mounted on and extending transversely of said frame, said 4 device having provision whereby the same may buckle between its front and rear ends, and means operatively connected with said device between and at a point spaced from its front and rear ends for imparting a buckling action as aforesaid to said device and f also imparting a reverse action thereto to restore said device to unbuckled condition.

8. In a loading machine, the combination with conveying means and a supportingl frame therefor, of material penetrating means including relatively angularly movvable material penetrating elements disposed one behind the other and each extending transversely of said frame, and mechanism driven by said conveying means for actuating said elements, oscillating the same through a relatively narrow angular range.

9. In a loading machine, a frame having a nose piece and carrying a conveyor one end of which is adjacent said nose, a material penetrating element movably supported by said nose, and means for actuating said element including a member pivoted between its ends, a link connecting one of said ends with said element, and the other end of said member being operatively connected to the front end of said conveyor whereby said pivoted member is driven by and oscillated upon operation of said conveyor thereby in turn oscillating said penetrating element.

l0. In a loading machine, a shovel nose having a frame portion, means extending transversely of and mounted on said frame portion for loosening material to be loaded and carrying the saine onto said frame portion, said material carrying means having portions connected for relative movement with a buckling action about a transverse axis, one of said portions being pivotally supported on said frame portion for oscillation upon a transverse axis bearing a fixed relation to said frame portion, and power operated means operative on power supply thereto to impart to said material carrying means during a loading operation, a continuous series of the buckling actions aforesaid.

Il. In a loading machine, material pene- 'rating mechanism comprising a frame portion, means extending transversely of and mounted on said frame portion for carrying material to be loaded onto said frame portion, said material carrying means having portions connected for relative movement with a buckling action about a transverse axis, a motor, and motor operated means operatively connected with said portions for imparting to the latter during an uninterrupted supply of power to said motor operated means by said motor, a series of alternate buckling and opposite movements.

12. In a loading machine, material penetrating mechanism comprising a frame portion, means extending transversely of and mounted on said frame portion for carrying material to be loaded onto said frame portion, said material carrying means having portions, one in advance of the other and connected for relative movement with a buckling action about a transverse axis, the more forward one of said portions having a pivotal connection adjacent its forward end with the forward end of said frame portion, and means for repeatedly imparting to said material carrying means the buckling action aforesaid.

13. In a loading machine, material pene- "i trating means comprising a frame portion, a material penetrating device mounted on and extending transversely of said frame, said device having provisions whereby the same may buckle between its front and rear ends, and means operative during continuous loading but While said material penetrating device is stationary as regards bodily feeding movement for imparting a buckling action as aforesaid to said device.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

ANDREW HAUGE. 

